The King's House Collapsed

    Here's a pretty game by Erling Tholfsen from a rapid tournament at the Marshall Chess Club back in December of 1932.  The position of black's King looked pretty solid after move 19, but in a few moves it just collapsed. Tholfsen offered his Queen twice, but it could not be taken either time.
     Tholfsen (January 12, 1904-December 6, 1996) was champion of the Marshall Chess Club three times: 1923, 1924 and 1931.
     Born in New York City, he was one of the city's leading players during the 1920s and the early part of the Great Depression era of the 1930s. He served as captain and 4th-board player for the U.S. men's team at the Olympiad in 1928 at The Hague. 
     Giving up competitive chess in the late 1930s he worked as a Spanish teacher in the New York public school system and dedicated his efforts to the labor movement (i.e. unions) for many years, serving as chairman for the New York City Teacher's Union in the late 1930s. 
     He died at age 92 on December 6, 1996. His wife, Rachel, passed away on December 26, 1998 at the age of 98.  Mrs. Tholfsen was a graduate of Hunter College, and a teacher of foreign languages at James Madison High School and, naturally, a member of the Teachers' Union. 
     Tholfsen is number 71 in the photo from Edward Winter's site HERE.  He once told Regina Fischer, "Do whatever you can to discourage him, Mrs. Fischer."